Since losing four in a row and five of six in January, the Buckeyes look like they’re in the midst of turning their season around.

“It’s a desperation game from here on out,” junior forward Sam Thompson said after Saturday’s comeback 64-46 win against Minnesota. “Every game we play is a must-win situation. When you play like you have to win and when you play like there is no tomorrow, good things are going to happen.”

After winning their first 15 games of the season, losses to nationally-ranked teams such as Michigan State and Iowa were understandable and road losses at Minnesota and Nebraska hurt. But as senior guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. said last week, rock bottom was blowing a second-half lead at home to last-place Penn State.

It changed their mind-set if nothing else.

“Every game here on out is a desperation game for us,” junior forward LaQuinton Ross said. “I think the guys in the locker room feel like that, too, especially going toward the NCAA Tournament.”

Maybe they’re not playing for a regular-season championship, but there is postseason seeding at stake. A top-four finish in the Big Ten would give them a bye in the conference tourney in Indianapolis, plus enhance their résumé for Selection Sunday.

That means they have to avoid another rock bottom effort today when they travel to Penn State.

“Every game is like the biggest game of your life in this league,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. “If you’re not ready to compete and not ready to fight and not ready to execute, you can get embarrassed.

“It’s going to be the exact same thing at Penn State on (Thursday). We got to get ourselves ready to go.”

After going an uncharacteristic 2-5 in January — the worst January the Buckeyes have posted since Matta took charge in 2004-05 — they have ripped off six wins in their past seven games. A win at State College, Pa., means Ohio State would be 7-1 in February. Only the 2006-07 team that went 7-0 would have had a better February, tying them with the 2009-10 group that also went 7-1.

Matta’s teams trend positively as the days lengthen. They’ve won 68 percent of their games in February and 80 percent in March.

“We lost six times and we’ve led in all six games in the second half,” Matta said. “They’ve had some good fight about them. We haven’t been able in those games to make the plays we needed to make.”

After playing its worst half of the season against the Golden Gophers, scoring just 18 points to trail by 10 at halftime, the Buckeyes rallied for their best half of the season, dominating at both ends.

“We were in desperation and guys stepped up and connected defensively and made the plays and got the steals from the help position and the blocked shots we had were out of help,” Matta said.